Study Desk

But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,' then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me.

Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king's house, you shall inform Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

So the king said to Ziba, "Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours." And Ziba said, "I prostrate myself; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!"

But the king said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if Yahweh has told him, ‘Curse David,' then who shall say, ‘Why have you done so?'"

So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him.

Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father's presence, so I will be in your presence."

So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if one asked of the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.

And I will come upon him while he is weary with his hands falling limp and throw him into utter fright, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone,

So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will set down on him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left.

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For Yahweh had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that Yahweh might bring calamity on Absalom.

So now, send quickly and inform David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'"

But a boy did see them and informed Absalom; so the two of them went quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.

And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well's mouth and scattered crushed grain on it, so that nothing was known.

Now Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed. So he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.

But the people said, "You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not set their heart on us; even if half of us die, they will not set their heart on us. But now you are worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city."

Then the king said to them, "Whatever is good in your sight I will do." So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands.

Then Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Now Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him passed onward.

So the man said to Joab, "Even if I should receive one thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not send forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Keep for me the young man Absalom!'